How to Sneakily Spend Less and Eat More at Restaurants

Spice up your normal restaurant routine.

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Have you ever been at a restaurant and tried someone else’s food and immediately had buyer’s remorse? The solution is simple: share appetizers instead of getting just one meal. We all know that the appetizer portions are usually pretty substantial, so if everyone picks one out, there will plenty for everyone to sample.

The cost of this would also be about the same as just getting one meal. If you are with a small group, you can split the cost of two or three appetizers and maybe even save some money. Having multiple plates to share also spices up not only your palate, but also your normal conversations. Everyone gets to discuss what you are eating instead of everyone asking each other how their food is and everyone saying, “it’s good.”

You get more variety (which is the spice of life)

Photo by Elise DeVoe

I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I take the first bite of a dish and then I take the next bite, it is not as good. I feel like I should finish everything on the plate to be polite, but I am glad I have found a way to avoid this.

Instead of muddling through one dish that only has one flavor, get a bunch of appetizers to prevent your palate from getting bored. Make sure you get appetizers with a variety of flavors from rich and creamy to spicy and crunchy.

Most restaurants have great deals on apps

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I am talking about endless appetizers people. Chain restaurants such as T.G.I Fridays are known for these appetizer deals, but they can also be found at local places. I’m sure if you do a little research you will find that your favorite restaurant has a deal on appetizers on a certain day. Use this app to find the best appetizer deals near you.

You get to interact more with your friends

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Instead of just sitting there quietly while everyone is chowing down, everyone can discuss the different foods they are trying. People can talk about what they like and don’t like about each appetizer and trades can be made just like you used to do with your Halloween candy loot. If you are the resident foodie of the group, make sure to impress everyone with your unique knowledge.

You get to taste everyone’s meal without them getting angry

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If you don’t want to face the wrath of someone like Joey for asking to taste their food, sharing appetizers is a great way around that. Instead of having to pull back your foodie instinct to try everything at the table, you can go to town on a variety of tasty appetizers.

It’s about the same price as one regular meal

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More of a variety for the same price; what could be better? If you have a group of three or four friends and you each order a $10 appetizer, you get a full-size meal of multiple components for the same price as you would pay for just one dish.

In the $10 example, that is actually cheaper than most entrees at a restaurant. If you are like me and just want to eat everything on the menu and not break the bank, splitting appetizers is the way to go.

Portion control is much easier

Photo by Sharon and Nikki McCutcheon

America is known for its larger portion sizes compared to other countries, so it is better for you to share appetizers instead of getting that huge plate of fried rice. When you are sharing appetizers, instead of thinking you have to take down everything in front of you, everyone can contribute.

You could take home leftovers to avoid overeating if you just get one meal, but we all know some restaurant food just isn’t as good the next day. For more tips on how to portion control, check out this article.